#my social battery flatlined!

[scrollonso]

kathleen, i need your opinion but my social battery flatlined so this is my solution.

i think vale doesn't give half as much of a crap about 2015 and Marc as we think he does, he just uses it to stay in everyone's mouth. (obv. he still is very salty about it but not as much as we think)

Because think about it, who are the Commentators, the Interviewers, the Fans, the Haters, the Tumblr girls (gn), everyone and their mother talking about? About Valentino Rossi. There is a reason the saying that it is better to be at the head of the worst gossip than not talked about is so popular. Because it is true.

And everyone talks about it. f1twt doesn't talk about jorge vs. pecco, about how honda had the downfall of the century, about how luca and fabio waste their prime on shit bikes. They talk about Rosquez, about how it will be with marc arriving at the team Valentino Rossi's favourite daughter, not about how Pecco will feel.

They talk about Valentino Rossi and that is what matters.

anon this is CRAZY but you have a point..

bc vale is retired and even though he has a team, the academy and then ofc WEC none of that gets people talking like him being a petty bitch...

[chaos-storm]

So to summarize my life for the half a' year I've been gone

Made a lot of new art!

Dislocated my knee by Dancing Caramelldansen

Girls, my partner is now single!!! (Ye we've broken up but we're good friends)

Found out if you buy an apple pencil and then don't touch it for months on end the battery will literally flatline, so my "have an ipad to digitally draw on the go" plan is in the trash

I've been a huge fan of roguelite deckbulders for a couple years and only last month discovered Slay The Spire

Therapy's actually helping me a lot and I've had a lot of personal growth, progress and self-realizations this year

Instead of social media apps I've been emulating pokemon games on my phone, which has been a ton of fun. I haven't defeated Darkrai in PMD Explorers for YEARS, usually I quit shortly after the main story is over. Currently replaying PMD Rescue hehe

I'm in the process of moving currently!! Or, I'm looking for apartments, which is fun and scary! But a lot of fun!

I started playing Disco Elysium last month. It's not as overwhelming as I thought it would be, and it's a whole ton of fun (The game called me boring and said I'm too apologetic)

AAA FINALLY A ZELDA GAME WHERE YOU CAN PLAY AS ZELDAAAAAAA

[not-the-avatar]

i swear if we were apart one more hour my social battery wouldn’t be the only thing flatlining

never leave me with these losers again/j/lh

Well, my dearest deviant has finally convinced me to make a... tumbler account. So, here I am, it is lovely to meet all of you, hope we can all be great friends.

[dalkyeom]

I actually started biasing vernon officially when I saw his radio interview with shua Years ago, where he was talking about his mom and his sister. It was so endearing to me the amount of love and kindness he exuded and I feel like it’s only gotten more and more intense as time has passed. And then of course I got to know him even more and loved everything, he’s so funny and talented. I wavered in stanning svt for a few years because I was so overwhelmed w life but tried to keep up with vernon regardless!

Did you see the rumoured BSS comeback?? I think I’ll DIE. And the vernon mixtape dropping soon too, I don’t know how to function with this news. This is an aside but I really love that the Vern teasers were red bc it’s one of my favourite colours!! What about you? Oh and! Are there any friendships you like or svt with other idols ? I enjoy svt and astro a lot 😭💞 - 🥕

Oh! Is it the english interview from way back? I recently watched a few clips of it bc it came up on my recommended. Rocket line is one of my fave friendships in svt and they’re such sweet boys 🥺💗 also vv true!! I find their relationships with their families so endearing 😭 and amg I love how you kept up with Vernon before becoming a carat bc SAMEEEE

My friend introduced svt to me when I was starting to explore kpop (I started with Day6) and she has a cat named Hansol so she told me about svt (and I kid you not! She made it easier to remember Bonon bc she said he looks like Tom Holland and I had a big crush on him back then) but bc there was so many members, I kinda put off stanning them until Darling came out (and a few GoSe edits YT recommended me). I kept up with him too bc I associate him with my friend and he’s good friends with Pentagon’s Kino 😂

AND YES I DID AMG MY BOYS 😭 manifesting! BSS energy is so fun and chaotic I’m excited if they come out with more details. Also since the teasers are out can I just say— VERNON SOLO IS PEAK MM CHEF’S KISS! KISSING HIS BRAIN RN 😭💗 based on the teasers it hits my inner 2014 5SOS and 2008 Avril Lavigne loving heart so much. I was watching this Vernon Disconnected edit and thought this kind of sound fits him so well and THE TEASERS DELIVERED. I hope you’re alive, santa carrot bc man delivered like 😞 joining the Vernon pits with you rn!

As a multi I’m always on the lookout for svt/ptg/skz crumbs bc their my ults 😞💖 especially seventeen and pentagon! I adored their friendship since my pre-carat days— esp JunYan 🥺 I fell for Jun bc he took care of Yanan so well 😞 he’s so sweet and thoughtful when Yanan wasn’t feeling well. when he had to leave the show, Jun didn’t choose another partner bc he wanted to stay partnered to Yanan iirc (and smth about it being unfair for everyone) and I found it so brave and considerate of him like it made me cry 🥺 Junhui is many things but I’ll always remember him as a friend with a good heart bc of his friendship w/ Yanan.

And ofc MOLA gang! 😂 VerKino is the one idol to idol friendship I’ve known the longest bc of those Pentagon x other idol friendship threads and I saw so much VerKino interactions. It’s funny too bc Kino is good friends with Astro members so they probs hung out a lot over the years. (Also amg! Hello fellow Aroha 😂 I casually listen to them but I mainly keep up with Eunwoo)

[topfygad]

Tips for trekking to K2 base camp: a complete guide

Our suggestions for trekking to K2 base camp, gathered from the various questions our readers despatched in

Earlier than, throughout and after my K2 base camp trek in Pakistan, Atlas & Boots obtained dozens of questions in regards to the expertise by way of e mail and social media. We’ve collated them beneath in a complete Q&A which incorporates all our suggestions for trekking to K2 base camp.

Suggestions for trekking to K2 base camp

Is Pakistan secure?

Pakistan has suffered from dangerous press for some time now. It might be remiss of me to recommend the nation is with out its issues; there are nonetheless areas of Pakistan the place journey is just not advisable. That mentioned, the trekking trails of the Karakoram have lengthy been trouble-free. Regardless, the area’s trekking business flatlined in the course of the years following 9/11.

That is anecdotal, however throughout my time in Pakistan I by no means as soon as felt at risk or nervous about my security. I felt extra snug strolling the streets in Pakistan than I did in a number of different South-Asian nations. I didn’t encounter touts like I did in India. Those that did strategy me on the road have been genuinely all in favour of speaking to me versus promoting me one thing.

Pakistan’s prime minister Imran Khan highlighted tourism as a primary goal in his “100 day agenda” following the 2018 election. Initiatives have included rising the supply of vacationer visas, creating a web based e-visa system, inviting the Royal Household for a state go to and recommencing direct flights to Islamabad (British Airways grew to become the primary European airline to take action in June).

I consider Pakistan is secure for journey and is lastly prepared to understand its potential as one of many world’s premier trekking locations.

Atlas & Boots K2 is the world’s second-highest mountain

Which firm did you trek with?

I joined Misplaced Horizon Excursions and Treks on a trek to K2 base camp mixed with a technical crossing of the Gondogoro La Go. 

How large was your group?

Our group had seven trekkers with a assist crew of 12 individuals together with a lead information, a cook dinner, porters and mule males. The mules and their handlers don’t cross the Gondogoro La Go. It’s affordable to count on between 4 and 12 trekkers in your group.

How lengthy does the trek take?

My itinerary was 21 days lengthy, which included 14 days of trekking. Beneath is the trekking itinerary we adopted, though it needs to be famous that each one schedules include a sure diploma of flexibility. 

Day From/to Distance Length Max Alt. 1 Askole-Jhola 20km 6-Eight hours 3,159m 2 Jhola-Paiju 21km 6-Eight hours 3,383m 3 Paiju relaxation day N/A N/A 3,383m 4 Paiju-Khobutse 13km 5-7 hours 3,566m 5 Khobutse-Urdukas 6km 2-Four hours 4,130m 6 Urdukas-Goro II 11km 5-7 hours 4,250m 7 Goro II relaxation day N/A N/A 4,250m 8 Goro II- Concordia 12km 4-6 hours 4,600m 9 Concordia-K2bc-Concordia 24km 10-12 hours 5,150m 10 Concordia-Ali 13km 5-7 hours 5,000m 11 Ali relaxation day N/A N/A 5,000m 12 Ali-Gondogoro- Khuispan 12km 15-17 hours 5,560m 13 Khuispan-Saicho 17km 6-Eight hours 3,330m 14 Saicho-Hushe 10km 2-Three hours 3,050m

It also needs to be famous that distances and occasions range considerably, relying on the situation of the paths and river crossings. The paths over the Baltoro Glacier are always altering because the ice shifts and crevasses open up.

It’s additionally commonplace for rivers to swell to extreme ranges and even wash away bridges. We have been twice delayed resulting from swollen rivers. 

The place does the trek begin and end?

The trek begins within the village of Askole and ends within the village of Hushe. The closest airport is in Skardu. If you happen to don’t cross the Gondogoro La Go, then the trek begins and ends in Askole.

How do you get to the trailheads?

Travelling from Islamabad to Skardu could be achieved by way of an in a single day drive (included) or by a brief flight mixed with a shorter 4WD drive. This protects a day of driving on both aspect of the trek. If trekkers select the flight choice, then finances a further $150 USD every means.

To get from Skardu to the trailheads at Askole and Hushe, a switch in a 4WD car is critical. Each journeys take round six hours.

How laborious is the trek?

The trek is difficult. The absence of correct trails and the free moraine and scree on the Baltoro Glacier could make it laboriously sluggish at occasions. Moreover, you’ll be tenting on the glacier for at the very least 4 nights, which is considerably colder than sleeping on rock or grass.

I met a spread of trekkers on the path from youngsters to retirees, so it’s attainable for individuals of all ages. Nevertheless, I might not suggest this as your first high-altitude trek.

How a lot does it price?

Costs begin from round $2,000 USD, relying on dates and itinerary, for a spherical journey from Islamabad. The value contains all lodging, all meals on the trek, an English-speaking native information and assistants all through the trek, porters to hold gear between camps, entrance charges to Central Karakoram Nationwide Park (CKNP) and all transport between locations. Enable an additional $200-300 USD per individual for suggestions.

Atlas & Boots The peculiar peak of Bakhor Das

How chilly does it get?

It will after all rely upon the time of yr and your location on the path. The upper you’re, the colder it will get. Initially of the trek it was a lot hotter than I had anticipated. Nevertheless, as soon as the path moved onto the glacier, the temperature dropped considerably.

Count on temperatures to drop beneath freezing, significantly at evening. Additionally, as you’ll be sleeping on the glacier it will probably really feel even colder. It’s value maintaining a tally of the climate station positioned at K2 (choose 5,000m on the left).

What’s the climate like?

Throughout my trek in September, it didn’t rain or snow as soon as. All however two or three days have been clear. Nevertheless, this is likely one of the world’s highest mountain ranges and trekkers have to be ready for every type of climate. Count on wind, rain and snow, and hopefully you’ll be pleasantly shocked.

When is one of the best time to trek?

The perfect time for the K2 base camp trek is from mid-June to mid-September with July and August being the optimum months. Earlier than then, trekking remains to be attainable, however till mid-June, extreme snow stays on passes and north-facing slopes, conserving any passes greater than 3,000m closed.

Most passes, together with the Gondogoro La, are closed by the top of September when heavy snow returns. The mountain rescue assist crew close to Gondogoro La departs in early September, so trekkers (as we did) must cross the cross unsupported after this time.

What ought to I pack?

I’ve put collectively a whole K2 base camp gear record. It comprises all the things I took with me together with clothes, trekking gear, toiletries, medicine, electronics and documentation.

Atlas & Boots One of the vital vital suggestions for trekking to K2 base camp: heat clothes!

Can I purchase trekking gear and garments domestically?

It’s attainable to purchase some gear in Skardu or Islamabad, however Pakistan doesn’t have the vary of retailers that you simply discover in, say, Kathmandu in Nepal. I might advise that you simply do all of your buying earlier than you permit dwelling to forestall any last-minute emergencies.

Is there telephone reception (or wifi) on the path?

No. None. Quickly after leaving Skardu I misplaced all telephone reception in the course of my trek. It’s attainable to purchase a devoted telephone and SIM card to make use of in some areas of the extra distant areas, however these usually are not smartphones and may solely be used for native calls and texts.

Your guides ought to carry a satellite tv for pc telephone for emergencies. Verify this earlier than departure.

Can I cost electronics on the path?

There isn’t a electrical energy on the path. I took a powerbank, photo voltaic charger and spare batteries with me to make sure my digicam and devices remained charged.

The place do I get consuming water?

Guides present boiled water for trekkers. I typically topped up my water immediately from operating streams or meltwater, however at all times handled it with water purification tablets. Trekkers ought to carry at the very least two litres of water on them and goal to drink at the very least 4 litres a day.

Don’t take bottled water onto the path as there is no such thing as a solution to eliminate the plastic.

Atlas & Boots K2 throughout sundown

What’s the meals like?

Fairly different and scrumptious contemplating the challenges of cooking for quite a few individuals at excessive altitude in a distant area! We had a spread meals over the course of the journey. In direction of the top of the trek, as provides diminish, the menu will possible change into much less different. The beneath offers you an concept of what to anticipate on the path.

Breakfast: butter, jam, cornflakes, porridge, omelette, fried eggs, paratha pancakes, tea and occasional (instantaneous).

Lunch: soup, biscuits, crackers, long-life cheese and chocolate.

Dinner: rice, dhal, greens, biryani, pakoras, fried rice, soup and noodles.

I might urge meat eaters to go vegetarian for the whole thing of the trek. It will discourage your guides from taking animals alongside the path for slaughter. It’s a troublesome problem for the animals and completely pointless. All meals shall be vegetarian after a day or two anyway, so ask your guides to keep away from this observe.

Are meals included within the worth?

All meals on the trek are included within the worth, though it’s possible you’ll wish to take alongside a few of your favorite snacks. Some meals and drinks in Islamabad and Skardu usually are not included. Enable $5-10 USD per meal.

How do I’m going to the bathroom?

A number of the campsites at decrease altitudes have easy drop-toilet services, however trekkers ought to count on to do their enterprise within the wild, leaving no hint within the course of. It’s important to observe these primary ideas:

Stroll effectively away from the path and any water sources

Dig a gap along with your heel or a trekking pole

Cowl the waste completely with soil

Place massive boulders on prime to cease animals from digging it up

For a extra thorough clarification, learn Kathleen Meyer’s  Shit within the Woods for a “delightfully shameless dialogue of a once-secretive exercise”.

Can I take a bathe alongside the path?

There are not any bathe services alongside the path. Urdukas is the one campsite with operating water, albeit chilly. For laundry on the path, I recommend trekkers take cleaning soap, antibacterial wipes and coin tissues, all of which have to be biodegradable.

What maps or guidebooks do I would like?

[easyazon_image align=”left” height=”110″ identifier=”5755698457″ locale=”US” src=”https://www.atlasandboots.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/51ykKn6bJCL.SL110.jpg” tag=”atbo0c-20″ width=”51″]Presently, there are few up-to-date Pakistan guidebooks obtainable. Due to this fact, I like to recommend the waterproof 1:175,000 Karakoram Trekking Map by TerraQuest for the K2 base camp trek.

Are there different routes?

There are a number of variations on the basic K2 base camp trek. I joined a K2 base camp trek mixed with a technical crossing of the Gondogoro La Go. This trek could be accomplished in both course. Nevertheless, beginning at Askole is by far the higher choice because it permits extra acclimatisation.

The most well-liked (basic) itinerary is an easy ‘there-and-back’ route. This feature begins and finishes at Askole and is less complicated because it avoids the excessive cross of Gondogoro La. It additionally gives extra flexibility because it’s attainable to take various detours en route together with to Trango Towers base camp, in addition to choices to camp in a single day at both K2 or Broad Peak base camps, or each.

These choices can all be mentioned along with your guides earlier than and in the course of the journey to permit you and your group to get one of the best from the trek. All of the teams I met have been trekking completely different variations on the basic K2 base camp itinerary, tailored to go well with their desires and talents. Likewise, our group tailored our itinerary barely as we progressed.

Atlas & Boots Baltoro Kangri glows within the night mild of the Pakistani Karakoram

Is the trek harmful?

All high-altitude trekking entails a sure diploma of danger. Nevertheless, for those who observe these primary suggestions for trekking to K2 base camp and the recommendation of your information, adhere to primary acclimatisation ideas and are match and wholesome, you need to have the ability to full the trek with none severe points, given that you’re match and wholesome.

The vital factor with high-altitude trekking is to not rush, go at your tempo and hearken to your physique. Learn our detailed information on how one can establish, deal with and stop altitude illness signs.

Do I would like specialist insurance coverage?

One in every of our most vital of the following pointers for trekking to K2 base camp is to be sure you choose a journey insurance coverage coverage that has ample medical protection. It should have a minimal protection of $200,000 USD for repatriation and emergency rescue.

Be sure to verify how your coverage covers ‘harmful actions’ akin to trekking at altitude (above 5,000m) and mountaineering. Moreover, it should cowl the potential for a helicopter evacuation together with basic medical evacuation.

Ought to I take Diamox?

That is very a lot all the way down to the person. I’ve by no means taken Diamox, however I’ve been as much as this altitude a number of occasions earlier than so know what to anticipate. Nevertheless, I do carry some with me in case I ever really feel dangerous at greater altitudes.

The perfect recommendation I may give is what my information gave me on my Everest base camp trek. Have some Diamox with you and take it as quickly as you begin to really feel the pulsing complications which are synonymous with altitude illness. He mentioned it’s good to have some obtainable on the greater altitudes – significantly the place you sleep above 5,000m– so you should use it to assist get a great evening’s sleep.

K2 seen from our camp at Concordia

Do I would like sunscreen?

Sure! Regardless of the chilly, the solar is intense. Be sure to put on sunscreen with an SPF of at the very least 40, lip balm with SPF safety, sun shades and a sunhat.

Do I would like a trekking allow?

To trek to K2 base camp you will need to enter CKNP the place you’ll need to pay a national-park charge and full a registration type. For foreigners, the charge is $10 USD per individual. A full record of park entry charges could be discovered right here.

Moreover, trekkers should get hold of a No Objection Certificates (NOC) on the tourism workplace in Skardu. This allow means that you can journey in a restricted army space. The CKNP is in such an space because it borders India and China.

Each of those permits shall be organised by your trekking firm and solely take a couple of minutes at every workplace.

Can I trek it solo?

No. All foreigners should have a licensed information with them. Foreigners is not going to be allowed to enter the park and not using a information.

Do I would like mountaineering abilities for the Gondogoro La Go?

Trekkers don’t essentially want mountaineering abilities to cross the Gondogoro La, however expertise utilizing crampons and an ice axe shall be useful. In case your itinerary doesn’t embrace a excessive cross crossing then neither are required. Verify these particulars along with your guides once you e-book.

Atlas & Boots Ice axe and crampons expertise is beneficial, however not important

What is going to the porters carry for me?

The porters will carry your tent, sleeping bag, all cooking gear and meals. You can be chargeable for carrying all of your private gear and clothes. Porters could carry 3-4kg of your private gear on request.

Chatting with different teams, I heard that porters might, and did, carry way more for his or her shoppers. This may be negotiated on the time of reserving, however clearly count on to pay extra for extra porters.

How a lot ought to I tip guides and porters?

Price range a minimal of $200 USD for suggestions. Tipping when travelling is usually a little bit of a quagmire, however the guides and porters on the trek deserve each penny they earn after which some. Our head information collected all of the recommendations on our behalf after which distributed them pretty among the many crew.

Is the path busy?

No. In contrast with different treks I’ve accomplished, the paths are virtually empty.

Not too long ago, the CKNP has seen a average enhance in customer numbers. In 2018, simply 900 vacationers registered to enter the park. Once we entered in early September as one of many final trekking events of the yr, that quantity had risen to 1,300.

Regardless of the rise, it’s value remembering that over 30,000 individuals make the Everest base camp trek in Nepal yearly. Pakistan nonetheless has an extended solution to go to meet up with its Himalayan neighbour. With that in thoughts, now is a good time to go trekking in Pakistan.

What mountains are you able to see?

Masses! Throughout the trek you’ll see among the most stunning mountains on the earth, together with the well-known peaks of Trango Towers, Mitre Peak and Laila Peak.

With regards to actually large mountains you will note a number of 7,000m-plus peaks, beginning with Masherbrum, the 22nd highest mountain on the earth and the ninth highest in Pakistan. 

Shortly afterwards, the Gasherbrum Vary with the primary eight-thousanders will become visible. The Gasherbrum Vary is a group of 5 peaks over 7,000m together with two over 8,000m.

Lastly, Concordia, the final cease earlier than K2 base camp, is likely one of the few locations on the earth the place you possibly can see 4 8,000m peaks from one place: K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II.

Moreover, on the flight from Islamabad to Skardu, for those who sit on the right-hand aspect of the airplane, it’s possible you’ll glimpse Nanga Parbat, the ninth highest mountain on the earth. On the return flight, sit on the left.

Atlas & Boots Tenting beneath the needlepoint summit of Laila Peak

Is it just like the Everest base camp trek?

The K2 base camp trek is a wholly completely different beast to the Everest base camp trek. It’s more durable, much less snug and much more distant. Gone are the crowds and comforts of Nepal. Gone are the villages, teahouses, prayer flags and monasteries – even the paths are lacking in sections.

Nevertheless, for me the K2 base camp trek is way extra rewarding. The mountains within the Karakorum appear greater and extra imposing as they’re unobstructed by their neighbouring ranges.

On the strategy to Everest base camp, trekkers get sporadic peekaboo glimpses of its summit because the satellite tv for pc peaks successfully conceal it. However K2 towers above the encompassing massif, fully unimpeded. It might be second in stature to Everest, however it has a grace and symmetry that, in my thoughts, make it essentially the most putting of the 14 eight-thousanders.

Is the K2 base camp trek value it?

Sure – a convincing sure. If you happen to take one factor from this K2 base camp trekking information, it’s that the expended effort is 100% value it.

The K2 base camp trek is a shocking journey to the foot of a legendary mountain. It traverses among the most spectacular mountain surroundings on the planet, essentially the most humbling of which is seen at Concordia the place the world’s most majestic coliseum of excessive peaks is guarded by the crown of the Karakoram: K2.

Have we missed any something? If in case you have any of your individual questions, ideas or suggestions for trekking to K2 base camp, please contact us or be part of our K2 base camp Fb group.

Lead picture: Atlas & Boots

from Cheapr Travels https://ift.tt/2QNdf8R via https://ift.tt/2NIqXKN

[peakwealth]

FIVE YEARS ON

                                    An Anniversary (2012-2017)

Hazy night in Hong Kong, Kowloon side (March 2006)

English is not my native tongue and it shows on every page I write. The older I get the less certain I am that my brain can actually operate in English. I get my tenses wrong. There are gallicisms and other unwitting perversions borrowed from other languages. I have never mastered the proper order of things in an English sentence (see!), nor have I figured out how to balance that sentence so that it lands softly on its hind legs. Punctuation is haphazard. The musicality of the language eludes me. Example: Mary had a little lamb and everywhere that Mary went the lamb was sure to go. I could never ever write a sentence one-fiftieth as eloquent as that - in any language for that matter. I lack the poetic instinct for no other reason that I am a natural skeptic, not a poet. But I try. And I keep making corrections as I reread material and ask myself how I could get it so wrong. How come I did not spot a repetition, a typo, une maladresse, etc...

I think I'm learning. This blog has helped me to do that, though I have no illusions about ever getting it right. It ain't literature, I’m not Nabokov.

***

When I decided to start a blog five years ago, in January 2012, I called it 'Sniffaround' because that is basically what I do when I go walkabout. If you see a canine analogy there, you're right. While 'Sniffaround' certainly isn't a proper online record or 'log' in any sense of the word (certainly not the impulsive sort of thing that social media like Tumblr are intended for), it vaguely tracks my movements. And it is true that travel still triggers my curiosity. Once I'm on the go, I start noticing things. As for the word blog, I'm no more comfortable with this ugly neologism today than I was five years ago. What can I do? I'm from another century.

***

Five years is not a long time. Many things change but not so much as to render them truly passé or belonging to a bygone era. On the other hand, the wheels of history do grind perceptibly in the course of five years, especially if those five years happen to be as historic as these: the undoing of Western democracies, the continued rise of violent jihadism, Donald Trump's election, looming environmental collapse and a wider sense of gathering chaos.

It leaves me more than a little apprehensive about the next five years.

***

Chinese tourists (Beijing, September 2016)

Not all of the blog posts, 257 in total, deal with such weighty subjects. A few were written at the spur of the moment, but most took a long time to concoct, sometimes months, sitting in a corner of my desktop, evolving, mutating, waiting for clarity to rise from the heap of ideas. Others just popped into my head and then lingered there, unfinished. (I know one should beware of sudden ideas but I am one of those people who still get up in the middle of the night to write down a thought that somehow seems too valuable to ignore. Ha!)

The outcome has been an unpredictable mix of subjects: from noisy tractors in China or the decline of public transport in Malaysia, to the price paid to Colombian coffee farmers or 'the demographic elephant in the room' (a recurring theme). I wrote about the Inquisition, about the culpable proliferation of junk food around the world, about the forgotten tragedies of European wars ("local boys plucked from their family farms, dressed up in silly uniforms and shipped to their cheap, irrelevant deaths") and sometimes I just wrote rambling pieces about the lack of hot water in Ethiopian hotels or the idiosyncracies of in-flight video maps. In the last two or three years I have inevitably become more concerned with serious matters as the global balance of power shifts away from the old 'West' and things start to look shaky for ‘us’.

After a visit to San Francisco in the spring of 2012, I touched on the cult of Diesel jeans which, when you look at it now, accurately prefigured the rise of populism and the political gangsterism that has brought us the likes of Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Diesel marketing celebrated the idea of "stupid" as embodied in the slogan ‘SMART MAY HAVE THE BRAINS BUT STUPID HAS THE BALLS’. I thought it was eye-opening. Suddenly soccer hooliganism and neo-fascism no longer looked so hard to understand. But I hoped it was just a blip of the Zeitgeist and that it would go away.

Not so. Stupid, the diffuse pushback against reason, civility and tolerance has gained a lot of political traction since then. With Donald Trump in the White House, the pushback is no longer diffuse. Trump is its very incarnation.

***

The single most frequent subject has been China with some 25 posts if I include Hong Kong, which perhaps I shouldn't. Some of these posts were quite substantial. Clearly I could not let go of so fascinating a subject, perhaps because I've been a visitor to the PRC since the beginning of the eighties and have thus witnessed China's unimaginable transformation. Not that I ever developed a great affinity for China, hardly surprising since I do not speak the language. As for Hong Kong, which has changed so very little by comparison, I immediately took to it and still think of it as the world's greatest city. I shall return soon as the territory marks its 20th year under increasingly heavy-handed Chinese sovereignty.

Ageing Japan (Central Tokyo, September 2016)

If I have not gone sniffing around Japan as much, or written about it, it is mostly because of cost. For too long it was a frightfully expensive place. But after inflation flatlined for two decades, the relative cost went down and I returned. Today's Japan's is an eerily static society, a nation-state approaching retirement. It is the first major country to settle into civilized decline.

Japan's post-war transformation had already peaked by the time I first got there, thirty-five years ago. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that Tokyo today is not terribly different from what it was then. Although it faces almost insurmountable challenges of population collapse and eventual bankruptcy, Japan has shown remarkable wisdom and restraint in managing its decline (at least so far). It remains quirky, non-violent, noticeably more egalitarian than other rich countries; the people lead healthier, longer lives than anywhere else. And I like the food.

***

A few topics were not the fruit of travel but of sedentary summers in Montréal, none more so than my battle with the magnum opus of the Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor, 'A Secular Age', which kept me intermittently busy for a long time until I gave up, though not until I had vented my displeasure at so much 'professorial incontinence' in July 2014.

I didn't stop there. The widespread renaissance of divine sentiment, obscurantism and religious militancy kept me on my toes to the extent that I unburdened myself in a six-parter called 'In Bad Faith' which I started more than a year later, after a great deal of reading. I then illustrated it with religious street music recorded during Semana Santa in Málaga, a musical ritual so dark and soaked in centuries of genocidal conflict and religious madness it hardly bears thinking about.

***

Writing is, of necessity, a solitary, reclusive activity. Readership has never been a concern of mine. I have no idea if anyone reads or listens to what I post, except for the odd friend who will give some feedback in person. It does not matter. Although blogs are public by nature, mine serves primarily as a tool for extracting clarity from the avalanche of ideas and confusion that surrounds me (just as it surrounds most other people). In my case, it has become a ritual of intellectual hygiene, however modest.

My friend George often tells me to add more pictures, believing they would attract readers (or somehow mitigate the dullness of the writing?). The thing is that I'm not an intuitive photographer. Still I do use my own pictures (with one or two exceptions) and give them some thought. I tried my hand at three photographic explorations or essays: along the militarized Green Line that divides the Greek and Turkish sides of Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus; the aesthetic magnificence and architectural balance of a Chinese mansion in Songkhla, in the deep south of Thailand; and, recently, the startling reconstruction of the imperial city of Datong, in the north of China. All three were planned and gave me great pleasure.

***

Finally, there is the audio. How I got into sound is a long story, probably going back to childhood when my father gave me a toy tape recorder. It was a plastic box from Japan with a beige lid and a single lever, but it came with a schematic notice, printed on yellow paper, explaining the theory of magnetic recording. I disassembled the machine and was hooked.

Before the advent of digital recorders with built-in microphones, I used to travel with a set of microphones, cables, spare batteries and a lovely cassette deck (repeatedly stolen), taping all over the world. The blog has featured thirty-five audio posts so far. Some were just personal musings, walking around Paris or travelling by AMTRAK train across the USA. Others stood out for the sheer beauty of the sound: Bosphorus ferries blowing their horns on a fogbound morning in Istanbul; trains passing in the night in Assam, Northern India; the official Thai time signal at 8 AM; polyphonic singing in the Georgian capital Tiblisi or soppy ranchero music in deepest Paraguay.

A few times I tried more ambitious recording projects, like audio landscapes of Tokyo or the parades of Easter Week in Málaga. I also used my own archives to check the acoustic evolution of Milano Centrale railway station over a quarter century. I realize that hardly anyone ever listens to these evocative things, certainly not with the adequate playback gear for which they were intended. I keep a vast archive of unused material gathering dust under my bed in Montréal. More may be coming!

Derek Vertongen

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Tips for trekking to K2 base camp: a complete guide

Our suggestions for trekking to K2 base camp, gathered from the various questions our readers despatched in

Earlier than, throughout and after my K2 base camp trek in Pakistan, Atlas & Boots obtained dozens of questions in regards to the expertise by way of e mail and social media. We’ve collated them beneath in a complete Q&A which incorporates all our suggestions for trekking to K2 base camp.

Suggestions for trekking to K2 base camp

Is Pakistan secure?

Pakistan has suffered from dangerous press for some time now. It might be remiss of me to recommend the nation is with out its issues; there are nonetheless areas of Pakistan the place journey is just not advisable. That mentioned, the trekking trails of the Karakoram have lengthy been trouble-free. Regardless, the area’s trekking business flatlined in the course of the years following 9/11.

That is anecdotal, however throughout my time in Pakistan I by no means as soon as felt at risk or nervous about my security. I felt extra snug strolling the streets in Pakistan than I did in a number of different South-Asian nations. I didn’t encounter touts like I did in India. Those that did strategy me on the road have been genuinely all in favour of speaking to me versus promoting me one thing.

Pakistan’s prime minister Imran Khan highlighted tourism as a primary goal in his “100 day agenda” following the 2018 election. Initiatives have included rising the supply of vacationer visas, creating a web based e-visa system, inviting the Royal Household for a state go to and recommencing direct flights to Islamabad (British Airways grew to become the primary European airline to take action in June).

I consider Pakistan is secure for journey and is lastly prepared to understand its potential as one of many world’s premier trekking locations.

Atlas & Boots K2 is the world’s second-highest mountain

Which firm did you trek with?

I joined Misplaced Horizon Excursions and Treks on a trek to K2 base camp mixed with a technical crossing of the Gondogoro La Go. 

How large was your group?

Our group had seven trekkers with a assist crew of 12 individuals together with a lead information, a cook dinner, porters and mule males. The mules and their handlers don’t cross the Gondogoro La Go. It’s affordable to count on between 4 and 12 trekkers in your group.

How lengthy does the trek take?

My itinerary was 21 days lengthy, which included 14 days of trekking. Beneath is the trekking itinerary we adopted, though it needs to be famous that each one schedules include a sure diploma of flexibility. 

Day From/to Distance Length Max Alt. 1 Askole-Jhola 20km 6-Eight hours 3,159m 2 Jhola-Paiju 21km 6-Eight hours 3,383m 3 Paiju relaxation day N/A N/A 3,383m 4 Paiju-Khobutse 13km 5-7 hours 3,566m 5 Khobutse-Urdukas 6km 2-Four hours 4,130m 6 Urdukas-Goro II 11km 5-7 hours 4,250m 7 Goro II relaxation day N/A N/A 4,250m 8 Goro II- Concordia 12km 4-6 hours 4,600m 9 Concordia-K2bc-Concordia 24km 10-12 hours 5,150m 10 Concordia-Ali 13km 5-7 hours 5,000m 11 Ali relaxation day N/A N/A 5,000m 12 Ali-Gondogoro- Khuispan 12km 15-17 hours 5,560m 13 Khuispan-Saicho 17km 6-Eight hours 3,330m 14 Saicho-Hushe 10km 2-Three hours 3,050m

It also needs to be famous that distances and occasions range considerably, relying on the situation of the paths and river crossings. The paths over the Baltoro Glacier are always altering because the ice shifts and crevasses open up.

It’s additionally commonplace for rivers to swell to extreme ranges and even wash away bridges. We have been twice delayed resulting from swollen rivers. 

The place does the trek begin and end?

The trek begins within the village of Askole and ends within the village of Hushe. The closest airport is in Skardu. If you happen to don’t cross the Gondogoro La Go, then the trek begins and ends in Askole.

How do you get to the trailheads?

Travelling from Islamabad to Skardu could be achieved by way of an in a single day drive (included) or by a brief flight mixed with a shorter 4WD drive. This protects a day of driving on both aspect of the trek. If trekkers select the flight choice, then finances a further $150 USD every means.

To get from Skardu to the trailheads at Askole and Hushe, a switch in a 4WD car is critical. Each journeys take round six hours.

How laborious is the trek?

The trek is difficult. The absence of correct trails and the free moraine and scree on the Baltoro Glacier could make it laboriously sluggish at occasions. Moreover, you’ll be tenting on the glacier for at the very least 4 nights, which is considerably colder than sleeping on rock or grass.

I met a spread of trekkers on the path from youngsters to retirees, so it’s attainable for individuals of all ages. Nevertheless, I might not suggest this as your first high-altitude trek.

How a lot does it price?

Costs begin from round $2,000 USD, relying on dates and itinerary, for a spherical journey from Islamabad. The value contains all lodging, all meals on the trek, an English-speaking native information and assistants all through the trek, porters to hold gear between camps, entrance charges to Central Karakoram Nationwide Park (CKNP) and all transport between locations. Enable an additional $200-300 USD per individual for suggestions.

Atlas & Boots The peculiar peak of Bakhor Das

How chilly does it get?

It will after all rely upon the time of yr and your location on the path. The upper you’re, the colder it will get. Initially of the trek it was a lot hotter than I had anticipated. Nevertheless, as soon as the path moved onto the glacier, the temperature dropped considerably.

Count on temperatures to drop beneath freezing, significantly at evening. Additionally, as you’ll be sleeping on the glacier it will probably really feel even colder. It’s value maintaining a tally of the climate station positioned at K2 (choose 5,000m on the left).

What’s the climate like?

Throughout my trek in September, it didn’t rain or snow as soon as. All however two or three days have been clear. Nevertheless, this is likely one of the world’s highest mountain ranges and trekkers have to be ready for every type of climate. Count on wind, rain and snow, and hopefully you’ll be pleasantly shocked.

When is one of the best time to trek?

The perfect time for the K2 base camp trek is from mid-June to mid-September with July and August being the optimum months. Earlier than then, trekking remains to be attainable, however till mid-June, extreme snow stays on passes and north-facing slopes, conserving any passes greater than 3,000m closed.

Most passes, together with the Gondogoro La, are closed by the top of September when heavy snow returns. The mountain rescue assist crew close to Gondogoro La departs in early September, so trekkers (as we did) must cross the cross unsupported after this time.

What ought to I pack?

I’ve put collectively a whole K2 base camp gear record. It comprises all the things I took with me together with clothes, trekking gear, toiletries, medicine, electronics and documentation.

Atlas & Boots One of the vital vital suggestions for trekking to K2 base camp: heat clothes!

Can I purchase trekking gear and garments domestically?

It’s attainable to purchase some gear in Skardu or Islamabad, however Pakistan doesn’t have the vary of retailers that you simply discover in, say, Kathmandu in Nepal. I might advise that you simply do all of your buying earlier than you permit dwelling to forestall any last-minute emergencies.

Is there telephone reception (or wifi) on the path?

No. None. Quickly after leaving Skardu I misplaced all telephone reception in the course of my trek. It’s attainable to purchase a devoted telephone and SIM card to make use of in some areas of the extra distant areas, however these usually are not smartphones and may solely be used for native calls and texts.

Your guides ought to carry a satellite tv for pc telephone for emergencies. Verify this earlier than departure.

Can I cost electronics on the path?

There isn’t a electrical energy on the path. I took a powerbank, photo voltaic charger and spare batteries with me to make sure my digicam and devices remained charged.

The place do I get consuming water?

Guides present boiled water for trekkers. I typically topped up my water immediately from operating streams or meltwater, however at all times handled it with water purification tablets. Trekkers ought to carry at the very least two litres of water on them and goal to drink at the very least 4 litres a day.

Don’t take bottled water onto the path as there is no such thing as a solution to eliminate the plastic.

Atlas & Boots K2 throughout sundown

What’s the meals like?

Fairly different and scrumptious contemplating the challenges of cooking for quite a few individuals at excessive altitude in a distant area! We had a spread meals over the course of the journey. In direction of the top of the trek, as provides diminish, the menu will possible change into much less different. The beneath offers you an concept of what to anticipate on the path.

Breakfast: butter, jam, cornflakes, porridge, omelette, fried eggs, paratha pancakes, tea and occasional (instantaneous).

Lunch: soup, biscuits, crackers, long-life cheese and chocolate.

Dinner: rice, dhal, greens, biryani, pakoras, fried rice, soup and noodles.

I might urge meat eaters to go vegetarian for the whole thing of the trek. It will discourage your guides from taking animals alongside the path for slaughter. It’s a troublesome problem for the animals and completely pointless. All meals shall be vegetarian after a day or two anyway, so ask your guides to keep away from this observe.

Are meals included within the worth?

All meals on the trek are included within the worth, though it’s possible you’ll wish to take alongside a few of your favorite snacks. Some meals and drinks in Islamabad and Skardu usually are not included. Enable $5-10 USD per meal.

How do I’m going to the bathroom?

A number of the campsites at decrease altitudes have easy drop-toilet services, however trekkers ought to count on to do their enterprise within the wild, leaving no hint within the course of. It’s important to observe these primary ideas:

Stroll effectively away from the path and any water sources

Dig a gap along with your heel or a trekking pole

Cowl the waste completely with soil

Place massive boulders on prime to cease animals from digging it up

For a extra thorough clarification, learn Kathleen Meyer’s  Shit within the Woods for a “delightfully shameless dialogue of a once-secretive exercise”.

Can I take a bathe alongside the path?

There are not any bathe services alongside the path. Urdukas is the one campsite with operating water, albeit chilly. For laundry on the path, I recommend trekkers take cleaning soap, antibacterial wipes and coin tissues, all of which have to be biodegradable.

What maps or guidebooks do I would like?

[easyazon_image align=”left” height=”110″ identifier=”5755698457″ locale=”US” src=”https://www.atlasandboots.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/51ykKn6bJCL.SL110.jpg” tag=”atbo0c-20″ width=”51″]Presently, there are few up-to-date Pakistan guidebooks obtainable. Due to this fact, I like to recommend the waterproof 1:175,000 Karakoram Trekking Map by TerraQuest for the K2 base camp trek.

Are there different routes?

There are a number of variations on the basic K2 base camp trek. I joined a K2 base camp trek mixed with a technical crossing of the Gondogoro La Go. This trek could be accomplished in both course. Nevertheless, beginning at Askole is by far the higher choice because it permits extra acclimatisation.

The most well-liked (basic) itinerary is an easy ‘there-and-back’ route. This feature begins and finishes at Askole and is less complicated because it avoids the excessive cross of Gondogoro La. It additionally gives extra flexibility because it’s attainable to take various detours en route together with to Trango Towers base camp, in addition to choices to camp in a single day at both K2 or Broad Peak base camps, or each.

These choices can all be mentioned along with your guides earlier than and in the course of the journey to permit you and your group to get one of the best from the trek. All of the teams I met have been trekking completely different variations on the basic K2 base camp itinerary, tailored to go well with their desires and talents. Likewise, our group tailored our itinerary barely as we progressed.

Atlas & Boots Baltoro Kangri glows within the night mild of the Pakistani Karakoram

Is the trek harmful?

All high-altitude trekking entails a sure diploma of danger. Nevertheless, for those who observe these primary suggestions for trekking to K2 base camp and the recommendation of your information, adhere to primary acclimatisation ideas and are match and wholesome, you need to have the ability to full the trek with none severe points, given that you’re match and wholesome.

The vital factor with high-altitude trekking is to not rush, go at your tempo and hearken to your physique. Learn our detailed information on how one can establish, deal with and stop altitude illness signs.

Do I would like specialist insurance coverage?

One in every of our most vital of the following pointers for trekking to K2 base camp is to be sure you choose a journey insurance coverage coverage that has ample medical protection. It should have a minimal protection of $200,000 USD for repatriation and emergency rescue.

Be sure to verify how your coverage covers ‘harmful actions’ akin to trekking at altitude (above 5,000m) and mountaineering. Moreover, it should cowl the potential for a helicopter evacuation together with basic medical evacuation.

Ought to I take Diamox?

That is very a lot all the way down to the person. I’ve by no means taken Diamox, however I’ve been as much as this altitude a number of occasions earlier than so know what to anticipate. Nevertheless, I do carry some with me in case I ever really feel dangerous at greater altitudes.

The perfect recommendation I may give is what my information gave me on my Everest base camp trek. Have some Diamox with you and take it as quickly as you begin to really feel the pulsing complications which are synonymous with altitude illness. He mentioned it’s good to have some obtainable on the greater altitudes – significantly the place you sleep above 5,000m– so you should use it to assist get a great evening’s sleep.

K2 seen from our camp at Concordia

Do I would like sunscreen?

Sure! Regardless of the chilly, the solar is intense. Be sure to put on sunscreen with an SPF of at the very least 40, lip balm with SPF safety, sun shades and a sunhat.

Do I would like a trekking allow?

To trek to K2 base camp you will need to enter CKNP the place you’ll need to pay a national-park charge and full a registration type. For foreigners, the charge is $10 USD per individual. A full record of park entry charges could be discovered right here.

Moreover, trekkers should get hold of a No Objection Certificates (NOC) on the tourism workplace in Skardu. This allow means that you can journey in a restricted army space. The CKNP is in such an space because it borders India and China.

Each of those permits shall be organised by your trekking firm and solely take a couple of minutes at every workplace.

Can I trek it solo?

No. All foreigners should have a licensed information with them. Foreigners is not going to be allowed to enter the park and not using a information.

Do I would like mountaineering abilities for the Gondogoro La Go?

Trekkers don’t essentially want mountaineering abilities to cross the Gondogoro La, however expertise utilizing crampons and an ice axe shall be useful. In case your itinerary doesn’t embrace a excessive cross crossing then neither are required. Verify these particulars along with your guides once you e-book.

Atlas & Boots Ice axe and crampons expertise is beneficial, however not important

What is going to the porters carry for me?

The porters will carry your tent, sleeping bag, all cooking gear and meals. You can be chargeable for carrying all of your private gear and clothes. Porters could carry 3-4kg of your private gear on request.

Chatting with different teams, I heard that porters might, and did, carry way more for his or her shoppers. This may be negotiated on the time of reserving, however clearly count on to pay extra for extra porters.

How a lot ought to I tip guides and porters?

Price range a minimal of $200 USD for suggestions. Tipping when travelling is usually a little bit of a quagmire, however the guides and porters on the trek deserve each penny they earn after which some. Our head information collected all of the recommendations on our behalf after which distributed them pretty among the many crew.

Is the path busy?

No. In contrast with different treks I’ve accomplished, the paths are virtually empty.

Not too long ago, the CKNP has seen a average enhance in customer numbers. In 2018, simply 900 vacationers registered to enter the park. Once we entered in early September as one of many final trekking events of the yr, that quantity had risen to 1,300.

Regardless of the rise, it’s value remembering that over 30,000 individuals make the Everest base camp trek in Nepal yearly. Pakistan nonetheless has an extended solution to go to meet up with its Himalayan neighbour. With that in thoughts, now is a good time to go trekking in Pakistan.

What mountains are you able to see?

Masses! Throughout the trek you’ll see among the most stunning mountains on the earth, together with the well-known peaks of Trango Towers, Mitre Peak and Laila Peak.

With regards to actually large mountains you will note a number of 7,000m-plus peaks, beginning with Masherbrum, the 22nd highest mountain on the earth and the ninth highest in Pakistan. 

Shortly afterwards, the Gasherbrum Vary with the primary eight-thousanders will become visible. The Gasherbrum Vary is a group of 5 peaks over 7,000m together with two over 8,000m.

Lastly, Concordia, the final cease earlier than K2 base camp, is likely one of the few locations on the earth the place you possibly can see 4 8,000m peaks from one place: K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II.

Moreover, on the flight from Islamabad to Skardu, for those who sit on the right-hand aspect of the airplane, it’s possible you’ll glimpse Nanga Parbat, the ninth highest mountain on the earth. On the return flight, sit on the left.

Atlas & Boots Tenting beneath the needlepoint summit of Laila Peak

Is it just like the Everest base camp trek?

The K2 base camp trek is a wholly completely different beast to the Everest base camp trek. It’s more durable, much less snug and much more distant. Gone are the crowds and comforts of Nepal. Gone are the villages, teahouses, prayer flags and monasteries – even the paths are lacking in sections.

Nevertheless, for me the K2 base camp trek is way extra rewarding. The mountains within the Karakorum appear greater and extra imposing as they’re unobstructed by their neighbouring ranges.

On the strategy to Everest base camp, trekkers get sporadic peekaboo glimpses of its summit because the satellite tv for pc peaks successfully conceal it. However K2 towers above the encompassing massif, fully unimpeded. It might be second in stature to Everest, however it has a grace and symmetry that, in my thoughts, make it essentially the most putting of the 14 eight-thousanders.

Is the K2 base camp trek value it?

Sure – a convincing sure. If you happen to take one factor from this K2 base camp trekking information, it’s that the expended effort is 100% value it.

The K2 base camp trek is a shocking journey to the foot of a legendary mountain. It traverses among the most spectacular mountain surroundings on the planet, essentially the most humbling of which is seen at Concordia the place the world’s most majestic coliseum of excessive peaks is guarded by the crown of the Karakoram: K2.

Have we missed any something? If in case you have any of your individual questions, ideas or suggestions for trekking to K2 base camp, please contact us or be part of our K2 base camp Fb group.

Lead picture: Atlas & Boots

source http://cheaprtravels.com/tips-for-trekking-to-k2-base-camp-a-complete-guide/

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Tips for trekking to K2 base camp: a complete guide

Our suggestions for trekking to K2 base camp, gathered from the various questions our readers despatched in

Earlier than, throughout and after my K2 base camp trek in Pakistan, Atlas & Boots obtained dozens of questions in regards to the expertise by way of e mail and social media. We’ve collated them beneath in a complete Q&A which incorporates all our suggestions for trekking to K2 base camp.

Suggestions for trekking to K2 base camp

Is Pakistan secure?

Pakistan has suffered from dangerous press for some time now. It might be remiss of me to recommend the nation is with out its issues; there are nonetheless areas of Pakistan the place journey is just not advisable. That mentioned, the trekking trails of the Karakoram have lengthy been trouble-free. Regardless, the area’s trekking business flatlined in the course of the years following 9/11.

That is anecdotal, however throughout my time in Pakistan I by no means as soon as felt at risk or nervous about my security. I felt extra snug strolling the streets in Pakistan than I did in a number of different South-Asian nations. I didn’t encounter touts like I did in India. Those that did strategy me on the road have been genuinely all in favour of speaking to me versus promoting me one thing.

Pakistan’s prime minister Imran Khan highlighted tourism as a primary goal in his “100 day agenda” following the 2018 election. Initiatives have included rising the supply of vacationer visas, creating a web based e-visa system, inviting the Royal Household for a state go to and recommencing direct flights to Islamabad (British Airways grew to become the primary European airline to take action in June).

I consider Pakistan is secure for journey and is lastly prepared to understand its potential as one of many world’s premier trekking locations.

Atlas & Boots K2 is the world’s second-highest mountain

Which firm did you trek with?

I joined Misplaced Horizon Excursions and Treks on a trek to K2 base camp mixed with a technical crossing of the Gondogoro La Go. 

How large was your group?

Our group had seven trekkers with a assist crew of 12 individuals together with a lead information, a cook dinner, porters and mule males. The mules and their handlers don’t cross the Gondogoro La Go. It’s affordable to count on between 4 and 12 trekkers in your group.

How lengthy does the trek take?

My itinerary was 21 days lengthy, which included 14 days of trekking. Beneath is the trekking itinerary we adopted, though it needs to be famous that each one schedules include a sure diploma of flexibility. 

Day From/to Distance Length Max Alt. 1 Askole-Jhola 20km 6-Eight hours 3,159m 2 Jhola-Paiju 21km 6-Eight hours 3,383m 3 Paiju relaxation day N/A N/A 3,383m 4 Paiju-Khobutse 13km 5-7 hours 3,566m 5 Khobutse-Urdukas 6km 2-Four hours 4,130m 6 Urdukas-Goro II 11km 5-7 hours 4,250m 7 Goro II relaxation day N/A N/A 4,250m 8 Goro II- Concordia 12km 4-6 hours 4,600m 9 Concordia-K2bc-Concordia 24km 10-12 hours 5,150m 10 Concordia-Ali 13km 5-7 hours 5,000m 11 Ali relaxation day N/A N/A 5,000m 12 Ali-Gondogoro- Khuispan 12km 15-17 hours 5,560m 13 Khuispan-Saicho 17km 6-Eight hours 3,330m 14 Saicho-Hushe 10km 2-Three hours 3,050m

It also needs to be famous that distances and occasions range considerably, relying on the situation of the paths and river crossings. The paths over the Baltoro Glacier are always altering because the ice shifts and crevasses open up.

It’s additionally commonplace for rivers to swell to extreme ranges and even wash away bridges. We have been twice delayed resulting from swollen rivers. 

The place does the trek begin and end?

The trek begins within the village of Askole and ends within the village of Hushe. The closest airport is in Skardu. If you happen to don’t cross the Gondogoro La Go, then the trek begins and ends in Askole.

How do you get to the trailheads?

Travelling from Islamabad to Skardu could be achieved by way of an in a single day drive (included) or by a brief flight mixed with a shorter 4WD drive. This protects a day of driving on both aspect of the trek. If trekkers select the flight choice, then finances a further $150 USD every means.

To get from Skardu to the trailheads at Askole and Hushe, a switch in a 4WD car is critical. Each journeys take round six hours.

How laborious is the trek?

The trek is difficult. The absence of correct trails and the free moraine and scree on the Baltoro Glacier could make it laboriously sluggish at occasions. Moreover, you’ll be tenting on the glacier for at the very least 4 nights, which is considerably colder than sleeping on rock or grass.

I met a spread of trekkers on the path from youngsters to retirees, so it’s attainable for individuals of all ages. Nevertheless, I might not suggest this as your first high-altitude trek.

How a lot does it price?

Costs begin from round $2,000 USD, relying on dates and itinerary, for a spherical journey from Islamabad. The value contains all lodging, all meals on the trek, an English-speaking native information and assistants all through the trek, porters to hold gear between camps, entrance charges to Central Karakoram Nationwide Park (CKNP) and all transport between locations. Enable an additional $200-300 USD per individual for suggestions.

Atlas & Boots The peculiar peak of Bakhor Das

How chilly does it get?

It will after all rely upon the time of yr and your location on the path. The upper you’re, the colder it will get. Initially of the trek it was a lot hotter than I had anticipated. Nevertheless, as soon as the path moved onto the glacier, the temperature dropped considerably.

Count on temperatures to drop beneath freezing, significantly at evening. Additionally, as you’ll be sleeping on the glacier it will probably really feel even colder. It’s value maintaining a tally of the climate station positioned at K2 (choose 5,000m on the left).

What’s the climate like?

Throughout my trek in September, it didn’t rain or snow as soon as. All however two or three days have been clear. Nevertheless, this is likely one of the world’s highest mountain ranges and trekkers have to be ready for every type of climate. Count on wind, rain and snow, and hopefully you’ll be pleasantly shocked.

When is one of the best time to trek?

The perfect time for the K2 base camp trek is from mid-June to mid-September with July and August being the optimum months. Earlier than then, trekking remains to be attainable, however till mid-June, extreme snow stays on passes and north-facing slopes, conserving any passes greater than 3,000m closed.

Most passes, together with the Gondogoro La, are closed by the top of September when heavy snow returns. The mountain rescue assist crew close to Gondogoro La departs in early September, so trekkers (as we did) must cross the cross unsupported after this time.

What ought to I pack?

I’ve put collectively a whole K2 base camp gear record. It comprises all the things I took with me together with clothes, trekking gear, toiletries, medicine, electronics and documentation.

Atlas & Boots One of the vital vital suggestions for trekking to K2 base camp: heat clothes!

Can I purchase trekking gear and garments domestically?

It’s attainable to purchase some gear in Skardu or Islamabad, however Pakistan doesn’t have the vary of retailers that you simply discover in, say, Kathmandu in Nepal. I might advise that you simply do all of your buying earlier than you permit dwelling to forestall any last-minute emergencies.

Is there telephone reception (or wifi) on the path?

No. None. Quickly after leaving Skardu I misplaced all telephone reception in the course of my trek. It’s attainable to purchase a devoted telephone and SIM card to make use of in some areas of the extra distant areas, however these usually are not smartphones and may solely be used for native calls and texts.

Your guides ought to carry a satellite tv for pc telephone for emergencies. Verify this earlier than departure.

Can I cost electronics on the path?

There isn’t a electrical energy on the path. I took a powerbank, photo voltaic charger and spare batteries with me to make sure my digicam and devices remained charged.

The place do I get consuming water?

Guides present boiled water for trekkers. I typically topped up my water immediately from operating streams or meltwater, however at all times handled it with water purification tablets. Trekkers ought to carry at the very least two litres of water on them and goal to drink at the very least 4 litres a day.

Don’t take bottled water onto the path as there is no such thing as a solution to eliminate the plastic.

Atlas & Boots K2 throughout sundown

What’s the meals like?

Fairly different and scrumptious contemplating the challenges of cooking for quite a few individuals at excessive altitude in a distant area! We had a spread meals over the course of the journey. In direction of the top of the trek, as provides diminish, the menu will possible change into much less different. The beneath offers you an concept of what to anticipate on the path.

Breakfast: butter, jam, cornflakes, porridge, omelette, fried eggs, paratha pancakes, tea and occasional (instantaneous).

Lunch: soup, biscuits, crackers, long-life cheese and chocolate.

Dinner: rice, dhal, greens, biryani, pakoras, fried rice, soup and noodles.

I might urge meat eaters to go vegetarian for the whole thing of the trek. It will discourage your guides from taking animals alongside the path for slaughter. It’s a troublesome problem for the animals and completely pointless. All meals shall be vegetarian after a day or two anyway, so ask your guides to keep away from this observe.

Are meals included within the worth?

All meals on the trek are included within the worth, though it’s possible you’ll wish to take alongside a few of your favorite snacks. Some meals and drinks in Islamabad and Skardu usually are not included. Enable $5-10 USD per meal.

How do I’m going to the bathroom?

A number of the campsites at decrease altitudes have easy drop-toilet services, however trekkers ought to count on to do their enterprise within the wild, leaving no hint within the course of. It’s important to observe these primary ideas:

Stroll effectively away from the path and any water sources

Dig a gap along with your heel or a trekking pole

Cowl the waste completely with soil

Place massive boulders on prime to cease animals from digging it up

For a extra thorough clarification, learn Kathleen Meyer’s  Shit within the Woods for a “delightfully shameless dialogue of a once-secretive exercise”.

Can I take a bathe alongside the path?

There are not any bathe services alongside the path. Urdukas is the one campsite with operating water, albeit chilly. For laundry on the path, I recommend trekkers take cleaning soap, antibacterial wipes and coin tissues, all of which have to be biodegradable.

What maps or guidebooks do I would like?

[easyazon_image align=”left” height=”110″ identifier=”5755698457″ locale=”US” src=”https://www.atlasandboots.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/51ykKn6bJCL.SL110.jpg” tag=”atbo0c-20″ width=”51″]Presently, there are few up-to-date Pakistan guidebooks obtainable. Due to this fact, I like to recommend the waterproof 1:175,000 Karakoram Trekking Map by TerraQuest for the K2 base camp trek.

Are there different routes?

There are a number of variations on the basic K2 base camp trek. I joined a K2 base camp trek mixed with a technical crossing of the Gondogoro La Go. This trek could be accomplished in both course. Nevertheless, beginning at Askole is by far the higher choice because it permits extra acclimatisation.

The most well-liked (basic) itinerary is an easy ‘there-and-back’ route. This feature begins and finishes at Askole and is less complicated because it avoids the excessive cross of Gondogoro La. It additionally gives extra flexibility because it’s attainable to take various detours en route together with to Trango Towers base camp, in addition to choices to camp in a single day at both K2 or Broad Peak base camps, or each.

These choices can all be mentioned along with your guides earlier than and in the course of the journey to permit you and your group to get one of the best from the trek. All of the teams I met have been trekking completely different variations on the basic K2 base camp itinerary, tailored to go well with their desires and talents. Likewise, our group tailored our itinerary barely as we progressed.

Atlas & Boots Baltoro Kangri glows within the night mild of the Pakistani Karakoram

Is the trek harmful?

All high-altitude trekking entails a sure diploma of danger. Nevertheless, for those who observe these primary suggestions for trekking to K2 base camp and the recommendation of your information, adhere to primary acclimatisation ideas and are match and wholesome, you need to have the ability to full the trek with none severe points, given that you’re match and wholesome.

The vital factor with high-altitude trekking is to not rush, go at your tempo and hearken to your physique. Learn our detailed information on how one can establish, deal with and stop altitude illness signs.

Do I would like specialist insurance coverage?

One in every of our most vital of the following pointers for trekking to K2 base camp is to be sure you choose a journey insurance coverage coverage that has ample medical protection. It should have a minimal protection of $200,000 USD for repatriation and emergency rescue.

Be sure to verify how your coverage covers ‘harmful actions’ akin to trekking at altitude (above 5,000m) and mountaineering. Moreover, it should cowl the potential for a helicopter evacuation together with basic medical evacuation.

Ought to I take Diamox?

That is very a lot all the way down to the person. I’ve by no means taken Diamox, however I’ve been as much as this altitude a number of occasions earlier than so know what to anticipate. Nevertheless, I do carry some with me in case I ever really feel dangerous at greater altitudes.

The perfect recommendation I may give is what my information gave me on my Everest base camp trek. Have some Diamox with you and take it as quickly as you begin to really feel the pulsing complications which are synonymous with altitude illness. He mentioned it’s good to have some obtainable on the greater altitudes – significantly the place you sleep above 5,000m– so you should use it to assist get a great evening’s sleep.

K2 seen from our camp at Concordia

Do I would like sunscreen?

Sure! Regardless of the chilly, the solar is intense. Be sure to put on sunscreen with an SPF of at the very least 40, lip balm with SPF safety, sun shades and a sunhat.

Do I would like a trekking allow?

To trek to K2 base camp you will need to enter CKNP the place you’ll need to pay a national-park charge and full a registration type. For foreigners, the charge is $10 USD per individual. A full record of park entry charges could be discovered right here.

Moreover, trekkers should get hold of a No Objection Certificates (NOC) on the tourism workplace in Skardu. This allow means that you can journey in a restricted army space. The CKNP is in such an space because it borders India and China.

Each of those permits shall be organised by your trekking firm and solely take a couple of minutes at every workplace.

Can I trek it solo?

No. All foreigners should have a licensed information with them. Foreigners is not going to be allowed to enter the park and not using a information.

Do I would like mountaineering abilities for the Gondogoro La Go?

Trekkers don’t essentially want mountaineering abilities to cross the Gondogoro La, however expertise utilizing crampons and an ice axe shall be useful. In case your itinerary doesn’t embrace a excessive cross crossing then neither are required. Verify these particulars along with your guides once you e-book.

Atlas & Boots Ice axe and crampons expertise is beneficial, however not important

What is going to the porters carry for me?

The porters will carry your tent, sleeping bag, all cooking gear and meals. You can be chargeable for carrying all of your private gear and clothes. Porters could carry 3-4kg of your private gear on request.

Chatting with different teams, I heard that porters might, and did, carry way more for his or her shoppers. This may be negotiated on the time of reserving, however clearly count on to pay extra for extra porters.

How a lot ought to I tip guides and porters?

Price range a minimal of $200 USD for suggestions. Tipping when travelling is usually a little bit of a quagmire, however the guides and porters on the trek deserve each penny they earn after which some. Our head information collected all of the recommendations on our behalf after which distributed them pretty among the many crew.

Is the path busy?

No. In contrast with different treks I’ve accomplished, the paths are virtually empty.

Not too long ago, the CKNP has seen a average enhance in customer numbers. In 2018, simply 900 vacationers registered to enter the park. Once we entered in early September as one of many final trekking events of the yr, that quantity had risen to 1,300.

Regardless of the rise, it’s value remembering that over 30,000 individuals make the Everest base camp trek in Nepal yearly. Pakistan nonetheless has an extended solution to go to meet up with its Himalayan neighbour. With that in thoughts, now is a good time to go trekking in Pakistan.

What mountains are you able to see?

Masses! Throughout the trek you’ll see among the most stunning mountains on the earth, together with the well-known peaks of Trango Towers, Mitre Peak and Laila Peak.

With regards to actually large mountains you will note a number of 7,000m-plus peaks, beginning with Masherbrum, the 22nd highest mountain on the earth and the ninth highest in Pakistan. 

Shortly afterwards, the Gasherbrum Vary with the primary eight-thousanders will become visible. The Gasherbrum Vary is a group of 5 peaks over 7,000m together with two over 8,000m.

Lastly, Concordia, the final cease earlier than K2 base camp, is likely one of the few locations on the earth the place you possibly can see 4 8,000m peaks from one place: K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II.

Moreover, on the flight from Islamabad to Skardu, for those who sit on the right-hand aspect of the airplane, it’s possible you’ll glimpse Nanga Parbat, the ninth highest mountain on the earth. On the return flight, sit on the left.

Atlas & Boots Tenting beneath the needlepoint summit of Laila Peak

Is it just like the Everest base camp trek?

The K2 base camp trek is a wholly completely different beast to the Everest base camp trek. It’s more durable, much less snug and much more distant. Gone are the crowds and comforts of Nepal. Gone are the villages, teahouses, prayer flags and monasteries – even the paths are lacking in sections.

Nevertheless, for me the K2 base camp trek is way extra rewarding. The mountains within the Karakorum appear greater and extra imposing as they’re unobstructed by their neighbouring ranges.

On the strategy to Everest base camp, trekkers get sporadic peekaboo glimpses of its summit because the satellite tv for pc peaks successfully conceal it. However K2 towers above the encompassing massif, fully unimpeded. It might be second in stature to Everest, however it has a grace and symmetry that, in my thoughts, make it essentially the most putting of the 14 eight-thousanders.

Is the K2 base camp trek value it?

Sure – a convincing sure. If you happen to take one factor from this K2 base camp trekking information, it’s that the expended effort is 100% value it.

The K2 base camp trek is a shocking journey to the foot of a legendary mountain. It traverses among the most spectacular mountain surroundings on the planet, essentially the most humbling of which is seen at Concordia the place the world’s most majestic coliseum of excessive peaks is guarded by the crown of the Karakoram: K2.

Have we missed any something? If in case you have any of your individual questions, ideas or suggestions for trekking to K2 base camp, please contact us or be part of our K2 base camp Fb group.

Lead picture: Atlas & Boots

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